Seven Days
by JustPlainToni
Summary: The curse video entered the world of Invader Zim and in the hands of the unsuspecting Gir. Inspired by Invader Pinn, will the mystery to save their lives be solved in shortened time or will their demise? Prying eyes will be punished and fall victim of what lies in the ring.
1. The Video

A Invader Zim and The Ring crossover. A twisted mix but not entirely my idea. It was a request from Invader Pinn and I hope you all enjoy this gripping tale.

* * *

Seven Days

Chapter 1: The Video

It seems like an oridinary night. The street narrow to the odd point, the cul-du-sac creepiest place, Zim's house. A marking of modern horror. Maybe the child-like stucture makes it sinister or could be regarding the mechanical gnomes like gaurd hounds protecting its master's lair. No matter the statement, forgetting all the red eyes beaming from the gnomes, the ominious green glow emitting from the eerie interior and the shadows casted by the lonely moon, it was, indeed, an oridinary night.

One creature to break or build on the scenery is the happy-go-lucky character known by everyone, Gir. He bounced up while walking up to the house making squeaky foot prints. He carried in his nubby arms entertaining movies he randomly selected from Video Outhouse. How he was able to rent video again, don't ask me but maybe Gir's bubbly charm and ingnorance? A lot of ignorance got him off scot-free of any real issues so this was no exception. Gir hobbled to the first step carrying the five videos. He heard a slight sound and turned his head to that direction and saw nothing then opened the purple door without futher investigation. He shut the door, squealed and threw the bounty on the tile patterned floor neglecting the care he carried them and swam in the created chaos. Zim, who arrived on the scene, saw the goof ball acting like his goof ball self and decided he should correct him on it.

"Gir, what are you doing?" Zim snapped demanding the answer. Gir flopped up and smiled though the outburst never bothered him and picked up a black unlabeled DVD with his little paw.

"I got movies!" Gir shouted the same volume Zim presented. Zim pondered on the idea while Gir waved it infront of Zim's face.

"Well, I am waiting for the results of my latest experiment." Zim said outloud coming up with an easy compromise. "Minimoose will let me know if it's done."

Gir yelped in joy and ran towards the T.V. and pushed the DVD in the player. Zim sat on the big old couch while Gir sat flat on the floor. Meanwhile, without Zim's knowledge, his most awful enemy stood outside the magenta tinted window wearing all black cameoflage within the darkness. Dib, feeling clever he gone unnoticed by Zim's robotic dog, resumed spying inside the house awaiting Zim to come forth another convincing photo that he is no human. Gir knew he was there and chose to do nothing about it. It was normal for Zim's friend to hide in the bushes and threaten Zim any chance Dib gets. Dib recieved the evidence he needed and was about to call it a night until he saw their T.V. flashed and became fuzzy with the speckled white dots recognized as no reception but it was a DVD. Zim furrowed an imaginary eyebrow and peered at the image.

An outline white ring beamed in the black screen. It flashed to water bubbling in what Zim could not tell what exactly was the red color but before he could analysis a wooden white chair in a white blank setting flashed on screen. Then it went to a woman combing her black hair in a mirror. She wore a black dress exactly the same color of her hair like there was no real difference. In another similiar mirror surfaced a young girl disappearing in the grainy darkness of the mirror. The woman appeared to recognized the girl looking at her curiously. The video clicked on a image of a cliff and view of the large body of water. To the corner of the screen, a fly crawled on the T.V. adding the creepy factor to this disturbing video. Not as disturbing when the next clip shown intestines pulled out of a human's throat. Zim didn't blink twice at it and continue watching. A tree's top branches caught on fire, then a finger flicked on a nail creating a sharp ring. This made Zim's index finger twitch by reaction. In the video, what looked like maggots crawled in a large mass like a lively puddle and the chair moves to it's own will to a table. The table had a glass of water on the top and below a large centiped crawled on the floor unaware of anything. A single black eye stare searching for a soul. Zim twitched surprised. Gir giggled fearless of anything he seen. The screen came back on the ominious circle. Fingers wiggled in a wooden box and the movie repeated to the scene of the burning tree. The woman appeared again also at the mirror putting up her hair and she turns to Zim and Gir. Gir waved at the woman like she wasn't fiction. Zim didn't budge. The chair spinned upside down doing a 360 and there was a ladder leaning on a wall. A pile of horses lay motionless on the beaches as the ocean splash at them merciless. Then the star of the movie stood at the edge of the cliff and dips down into the ocean. The ladder drops and the ring shifts like light was shining through it. The movie's freaky normalcy focus on a picture of a well in a feild surrounded by pine trees. Then the screen fuzzed and the beyond freaky movie ended. Zim, almost jawed dropped, turn to Gir who was smiling like he watched a delightful kid's show.

"Gir," Zim said then mutter, "You are not allowed to pick out movies, ever again."

Gir groaned disappointed but then chose another movie. Zim couldn't take watching anymore culture shocking movies from Gir's crazy movie selection and was going to check on the experiment until he heard the phone ring.

Zim thought it was peculiar. Who would call this late at night? Probably a human telemarketer. Zim ignored it and had it go to the machine. It clicked as Zim walked towards the kitchen. It was silent and then the caller spoke.

"Seven days..."

Zim stopped his motion and turned his body to the telephone. The answering machine clicked signaling the message was complete. Zim stared at the telephone for the longest time he ever payed attention to it. The short whisper sent shivers down Zim's spine. After watching the strange movie then the phone call of what sounded like a human girl. Must be a coincidence. Zim shook off the fear and went underground in the belly of the base but the loud soft whisper lingered in his mind.

* * *

Dib, outside the window, was speechless for a long time after witnessing the spooky video. He regretted watching and being outside alone at night didn't help his nerves. Dib crept out of Zim's yard without alarming a single gnome and walked upon the sidewalk street lamps lighting his way home.

"What the heck was that?" Dib shouted while walking trying to make best of what happened. "A new way of communication? Was Zim transfering information about us, no, that can't be it. The video was so dark and demented. Too demented for Zim, he's evil but not that evil."

Dib reach home with the conclusion that Zim and Gir are creepier than he ever thought and should be more cautious around those two if they can watch something brutal for entertainment.

Dib turn the door knob and at the instant Dib set foot in the living room, the phone rings. Dib thought it was a strange coincidence. Thinking it was Dad, Dib picked up the phone on the end table next to his father's portrait lamp.

"Hello?" Dib answered. The caller was silent and then it whispered.

"Seven days..."

"Who is this?" Dib questioned annoyed. The caller hung up. Dib placed the cordless phone on the charger pad and stared at it. "What a stupid prank call. It sounded like Gaz."

Dib, recognizing the reasonable explaination Gaz pranked called him, went upstairs to Gaz's room and entered without her permission. Gaz growled and turned her head causing a painfully cracking sound towards the intruder while she was playng her video game. Dib regretting this action too but he stood brave against his scary sister.

"Did you just call me on the LAN line?"

"No," Gaz snapped, "Why would I do that?" Gaz, being inches shorter than her brother, stood tall showing she is the dominant sibling in this duo. Dib squirmed his response.

"To scare me..."

Gaz took her brother by the shoulders, threw him out of her room and he slammed on the hallway, the force indented him in the wall.

"I didn't call you." She answered.

"But it sounded just like you." Dib agrued despite being stuck to the wall but Gaz shut the door behind her. "Then, who called me?" Dib said left aside with the mystery stirring of that strange phone call. Unbeknownst by him, it was evil.


	2. Day 1

Chapter 2: Day 1

It was a rough night. The experiment was a complete utter failure and trying to rekindle from square one, Zim almost forgotten his social responsiblies of going to skool. He arrived in time before the bell rang. Classmates engage in exciting conversations while others sat quietly. Those who spoke loudly did not bother Zim. He entered the scariest part of his mind, the images on the DVD. He tried to escape it but when the idle brain is bored, one will wander into imagination. Zim's mind was jarred by the images of the white circle, the fingers, the woman staring back at him and the girl disapearing in the mirror.

Dib, sitting at the desk on the other side of the classroom, noticed the unusual change in Zim's personality. The egotistic stance of pretending he was better than everyone was missing today. He seems cowardly but it didn't change Dib's perspective of the alien invader especially what he saw last night. Dib glared at his enemy and Zim menaced a returning sentiment. Ms. Bitters entered the classroom huntching over her students and gnarled her voice.

"Today, it is class pictures, to frame the innocence you're about to lose. Early bloomers," She then glanced at Dib, "You'll be in the picture anyways. We will be called to the gym when we are needed, for now, it's time for history."

Ms. Bitters rambled on a disturbing lesson probably not suitable for children.

"It was easy to obtain an life insurance policy for your family so adults killed their elderly parents. Women, suitably the silent killers, poisoned them with arsenic and raked in on the policy but bloodlust never stops there. Mothers would even poison their own children because they couldn't overcome their obession to-"

The intercom bleeped loudly interrrupting the lesson announcing its picture time.

"This concludes why you don't want to be a poor in the 1800s."

Students stood out of their seats passing over the lecture like a transparant paper towel. The towel was wet but the information was too much for them to absorb. They concluded Ms. Bitters was ranting an unimportant topic. Though they were right, somehow it struck a interest in Zim and Dib for a unknown reason or why but both left the classroom with peaked curiosity. Having the same mind can be troubling for these adversaries.

Ms. Bitters led her class to the gymnasium where they met the photographer. The young man smiled, waved to the students and pointed them to the bleachers where he set up two tall standing lamps for lighting. Ms. Bitters assigned seats for the children in first name alphabetical order. Children sat in rows of three. First letter from the top to the bottom bleachers where Zita was the last seater next to Zim. Dib was on the third step in the middle row. Ms. Bitters stood at floor level left of the children. While waiting for the man to take the picture, Zim noticed at the other side of the gym across from him was a ladder. It stood upward upon the recoiled bleachers sunk into the wall. No one was around it so to Zim's understanding it was neglected. The photographer finished preparing his hovering camera and pressed the hand clicker releasing a bright white flash.

A loud crack followed the speed of the flash frightening the children. After Zim gained his sight, he saw the ladder hit the floor flat down in Zim's direction. It completely startled him. The children wondered questioning what was that sound. Dib saw it with his very own eyes the ladder dropping by itself.

"Haunted ladder?" Dib questioned. The explanation sounded stupid Dib made a note to investigate it later.

"Silence!" Ms. Bitters shouted to the class stopping their peeping voices. The photographer stared at the recent picture oddly then lifted his head up addressing the students.

"I need to take a picture one more time."

Some students shrugged their shoulders and all obeyed him. He took the picture once again without a distracting noise. The photographer scatched his head and peered at the digital screen on the camera.

"One more time." He announced. He poked at the camera adjusting a new setting seeing if it fixes the problem. He took the picture again and no resolution.

"I don't get it." He said aloud. The students looked at each other wondering what was the matter. He pressed print on the camera transmitting the request to his wireless printer. He stared at the picture astonished. Ms. Bitters appeared behind the man.

"What's taking so long?" She snarled. The photographer showed her the picture. She looked up at her class eyeballing both students responsible. "Dib and Zim are you making funny faces?"

Dib and Zim were both speechless from the accusation.

"Hog wash!" Zim shouted in defense.

"What?" Dib said, "Why would I make funny faces?"

"Then explain the meaning of this!" Ms. Bitters shape shifted into a shadow and ran up the bleachers before Dib. Ms. Bitters showed Dib the picture of the whole class and saw his face was a morphed being with no eyes and a gaping mouth. Perplexed, Dib stared at the photo and saw he wasn't the only one. Zim had a ghostly morphed face too. Ms. Bitters split in a second, showed it to Zim and he was just as surprised as Dib.

"Ma'am, it could be a digital error." He said putting away the camera into a large velvet lined suitcase. "I'll have to postpone taking pictures until I fix this or get a new camera. The day I forgot to pack a spare." He muttered. "I need to talk to the principal." He put printer into a different suitcase, turn off the lamps, collapse the stands and carried all his equipment out of the gym.

"This is no digital error." Ms. Bitters said having another look at the photo. "These children are condemned." Zim overheard the disturbing comment and cringed. Students, uncaring for the delay, got up and cluster around their teacher ready to leave. Dib was relunctant to join still curious of what was happening. Zim didn't budge staring at that ladder like a forgotten memory trying to resurface its meaning.

The second bell rang and everyone knew what it meant. First recess. Students stared at Ms. Bitters awaiting approval.

"Alright." Ms. Bitters said floating away but not before she crumbled the photo and threw it towards the nearest trash can missing it. Dib saw her missing the shot. He picked up the photo and unraveled it staring at the spooky version of himself but why is Zim involved? Dib pondered it walking into the gymnasium and saw Zim standing next to the ladder. Zim looked up aware of Dib's presence and glared at him. Dib wasn't happy to see him neither but his inquisitiveness didn't prevent him from investigating.

"Dib!" Zim screeched, "What are you doing here?"

"I can ask you the same thing." Dib stated. Zim didn't reply immediately opening his mouth then closing it. He chose to make a statment.

"It's none of your beeswax like human children say so you can back off before I unleash a massive exploding..." Zim stumbled with the threat. "Bumble bomb out of my Pak." Dib stared not afraid knowing he was fibbing.

"You don't have a bomb do you?" Dib said plainly.

"Be quiet!" Zim retorted. "Just wait until I complete my latest weapon soon you and the human race will bow to my feet!"

"I'll never bow to a creepy alien who watches freaky movies!"

"Huh? What?" Zim said dumb-founded.

"Nevermind," Dib said then shoved Zim away from the ladder. "Go away. I have serious paranormal investigating to do." Ruffled up and offended, Zim snarled at Dib getting ready to strike. Dib, quick witted, swerved and grabbed the wig straight off of Zim's head. Zim slid his belly on the smooth floor then was barraged with flashing lights from Dib's digital camera. Defeated he given his enemy more discriminating evidence, Zim snatched the wig out of Dib's hand and fled.

"Curse you, Dib!" Zim screamed running away. "Curse you!"

Dib didn't take him seriously since all he does is curse. He looked into his camera and seen Zim's ghoulish face reappear.

"That's strange." He stated. "I wonder..."

Dib, without a second thought, pointed the camera towards him and snapped a picture of himself. He had the same result.

"Why is this happening?" Dib asked himself. "Is anyone else effected?"

Dib, beamed in gaining knowledge, ran out of the gym camera in hand ready to take pictures of his unsuspecting peers. If only it was as simple as that...


	3. Day 2

Chapter 3: Day 2

After investigating the photos he took of his classmates and surpassing a new level of annoyance, he seen he and Zim was the ladder ghost's focus but what exactly does it mean? Dib went into greater research Friday evening. He searched the net finding any photos resembling theirs. He discovered plenty of pictures with paranormal occurrences whether they were real or someone's over-reacting imagination. The real pictures had ghosts standing near them but none affecting their appearances. Dib stood back from his computer and stretched his arms. He looked outside and saw the gray stormy clouds clearly. Morning is approaching.

"Did I really spend all night online?" Dib questioned and then felt the full fatigue he ignored. He yawned. "I need sleep..." Dib gumbled and got up from his chair and crawled into bed. He laid on his back hearing the soft soothing sounds of rain drops hit the roof. He fell asleep without conflictions.

A white light surrounded everywhere in a single room. A voice, someone spoke in the emptiness.

"This is SM0015, Samara Morgan: Number fifteen." It paused. It sounded like a man. "So what is it that's keeping you awake? Must sleep sometime." He paused again. "Do you dream about something? Samara?" No response. "Let's talks about the pictures. How did you make them? Samara? How did you make these pictures?"

"I don't make them." Dib sees a young girl sitting on a chair in the middle. She wore a white gown matching the walls. Her long dark haired draped over her shoulders reaching her lap. She stares at her hands like there is no point looking up. "I see them and then they just are."

"Samara," The man spoke at the table across from her. "I need you to start telling me the truth, okay?"

"Can I see my mommy?" She said avoiding his questions.

"No Samara, not until we understand what's wrong with you."

"I love my mommy." She said truly. Dib sees her with her mother. She looks exactly like the woman he seen in the creepy video. The image of the mother dropping off the cliff popped in his head quickly and disappeared. He was back in the white room with the girl.

"Yes, you do. You don't want to hurt her anymore now, do you? You don't want to hurt anyone."

"But I do." She said not hesitating. "I'm sorry. It won't stop."

"Well, that's why you're here so I can help you to make it stop."

"He's going to leave me here."

"Who?"

"Daddy."

"He just wants to help you."

"Not Daddy."

"Your Daddy loves you."

"Daddy loves the horses." Images enter Dib's conscience. A farm with horses gallopping in wooden fences on dry dusty dirt. An older man's face stare down at him as he shuts him in the barn with the horses squealing hysterically.

"He wants me to go away."

"No, he doesn't."

"But he doesn't know."

"He doesn't know what? Samara?" She looked up and closer Dib stared at the girl as she spoke.

"He doesn't know I want to kill everyone like mommy killed me." She said cruelly then her eyes flashed at Dib and visions swirled of her mother pushing her down the well. She tried crawling out but her nails peeled off her fingers piercing into the stone tomb.

"The last thing you'll ever see is the ring." She whispered.

Dib jumped out of the nightmare pushing upwards on his bed. He breathed heavy and looked around seeing he wasn't in that place anymore. He signed relieved it was a dream. A disturbing dream he had in result of looking at ghost pictures all night. He shuddered remembering the visions.

"Get a hold of yourself." He said calming his nerves. "It's just a dream." He stepped on the floor and walked out of his room to the bathroom. He picked up a little light blue paper cup from the dispenser. Dib turned the cold water faucet on, filled his paper cup, took a sip then looked up at the mirror. The girl with long hair stood in the hallway. Shocked, Dib dropped his cup and turned suddenly behind him and saw no one. Water splashed everywhere on the tile floor upon his feet but the wetness didn't bother him.

"Okay maybe not a dream." Dib recognized the great danger he was in.

* * *

Zim, intending to prove he was superior, worked diligently on his project. There was no point leaving the base since it's raining. He really hates the burning wet rain. He decided to stay away from it as much as possible in the lab where it was sealed like an indestructable ant farm. In one of his tunnels, Zim carefully wired the curcuit board peering into the magnifiying glass. The light showing over him in the one spot. Zim heard Gir whistling behind him as he entered the lab. He skipped coming towards Zim. Zim, not wanting anything to do with him, screamed at Gir.

"Go away, Gir, I'm busy!" Gir stared at Zim blank in the face and peeped.

"I got a new friend! Wanna meet her?"

"No, Gir, I'm not interested in meeting any of your pig friends." Zim said.

"She's not a pig, silly." Gir corrected the stereotype that all his friends are pigs.

"I don't care." Zim spat out matter-of-fact. Gir lowered his head pitifully and then squeaked out of the lab. Zim, glad his stepped his foot down, went back to his project constructing a body suit of formidable porportions. Zim reached for the welding tool and noticed it was gone missing from the hovering tray. Zim looked upon the floor and saw it slid left under a table. He got up, leaned forward and grabbed the tool. To the corner of his eye, he saw something out of place. A puddle to the far right of the elevator.

"Gir must have tracked in the rain water. Fowl robot! Why must he be so flithy?" Zim complained. Hating water so much, he didn't want it in his sight. He was bent on cleaning it. Zim put the tool back on the tray, picked up a clean cloth, walked to it and saw the size was bigger than he thought. Zim went back to table, picked a can of water resistant paste he developed without the stickiness and sprayed on his arms.

"This should work. I'm a genius!" Zim said praising himself and went to the puddle. Zim couched on one knee and put the cloth inches above it. Then a white chalky hand jumped out of the puddle and grabbed Zim. Zim screamed horrified escaping the grasped and crawled back from it as fast as he could. He fidget staring back at the puddle but where is it? All he saw was the cloth flat on the floor. No wet puddle was there.

"What was that?" He screamed demanding answers. He stood up and thought was it all in his head? He has not been himself the last couple of days. He felt a sting arise from his right arm. He turned it and saw a great red rash appear in a shape of a human hand.


End file.
